


Pas de Deux; a dance for two

by Nightbreeze987



Category: Twosetviolin, Video Blogging RPF, twoset violin
Genre: Historical Fantasy, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince and servant, Wuxia, there will be sex don't worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:15:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24949843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightbreeze987/pseuds/Nightbreeze987
Summary: In a mystical world of conflict and tradition, two musicians fight to remain together. A prince and a servant, star-crossed lovers bound by music. All's fair in love and war.-----------------------Brett is Yang Boyao and Eddy is Chen Weicheng. B plays the erhu and E plays the guzheng.
Relationships: Eddy Chen/Brett Yang
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	1. Longing

The turn of the seasons brought the Chen kingdom chilly autumn, a welcome respite from the summer heat. One by one, creatures hid away to prepare for hibernation, leaving the land quiet and barren, birds and other flying monstrosities making their way south to seek out warmer climes. _It’s almost haunting how empty the world can feel once it falls silent_ , Yang Boyao mused. Another autumn meant another season closer to seeing him again. “I wonder how he’s doing…” The man gathered a thick blanket around his naked body, warming the bed for a lover soon to return. Hopefully sooner than later and better late than never. 

A soft chime rang from the courtyard and Yang Boyao scrambled to dress warmly in fur-lined garments and a thick woollen robe over his slender frame. He grabbed a large gold-rimmed red lacquered bowl and a smaller cornflower-blue bowl from the shelf next to the door before leaving the prince’s quarters. The guards outside the chamber’s outer room sneered behind his back but he paid them no heed. He scrutinised the bowls, pretending to check for scratches as he hurried to the courtyard. They were a gift from the prince when he returned from an island country nearby. “I thought you would like these, now you can eat without fearing for splinters,” the gentle voice rang in his memory, warming him from the inside.

When he reached the courtyard, he queued up behind the line of servants, waiting for his turn to receive his share. Looks of disdain flickered in his direction. Understandably so, as he was the only one holding such luxurious crockery, wearing splendid clothing and well-groomed. He stuck out like a sore thumb. He received his porridge and vegetable broth, was given a meat bun, and a spoonful of braised peanuts in sesame oil. Although most of the servants were kind and welcoming to him, there were a few elders and maidens who made snide remarks within earshot, scornful at his lack of manhood and for ‘seducing’ the prince. “What a harlot the prince picked up, he should be ashamed to be seen at all,” a snooty servant maid remarked. Around her, an assortment of footmen and scullery girls tittered.

In his heart, Boyao growled at them,  _ You’re just jealous that I got lucky and was favoured by the prince. I can’t even eat with the court, so my status is a servant like you! I’m well-versed in the six arts^ so I’m more than just a pretty face. _ He suddenly turned gloomy, reminiscing on the last time he’d seen the prince, three seasons ago. 

* * *

_ “Little Lamb*, you can’t come with me, you’re ill. I can’t risk losing you. If anything happens to me, I need you to back me up, alright?” Crown Prince Chen Weicheng held Boyao by his shoulders, a tear running down his regal face. _

_ “I can’t lose you too,” Boyao sniffled, rubbing at his eyes frantically. It had been barely two months since he’d stuttered his confession to his prince and now he might never come back. _

_ “I’m sorry. I have my duties to perform…” _

_ “I know, I know. I’m not asking you to stay,” Boyao grasped his lover’s hands, squeezing tight. “Promise me you’ll come back alive.” _

_ “I promise. Please wait for me, I’ll be back soon.” _

* * *

Who was he to the prince? Servant? Friend? Lover? Consort? Advisor? Courtesan? Companion? This was a question that sparked all sorts of gossip. Boyao could not define it either but he was content going by Weicheng’s own definition, “We have a relationship that cannot be labelled. You’re everything to me. I just hope that you feel the same.” Boyao pulled the robe around him tighter as he finished his breakfast, trying hard to suppress the twinge of loneliness in his chest. He took his bowls to the kitchen and scrubbed them clean. As he slipped back up the grand red-carpeted staircase, he glimpsed the door of the king’s meeting room swing open for a minister to enter. He waited for the door to close before sneaking upstairs. He’d always been intimidated by that room. He supposed that right now they were discussing strategies to use on the frontlines, where Weicheng was leading the troops. He powered through the corridors and went straight into the prince’s quarters without so much as a blink in the guards’ direction.

Boyao shed his clothing, changed into a simple smock that served as an apron, and pulled out several scrolls of paper from a cabinet in the study. He slowly ground the block of ink against the inkstone and dripped a spoonful of water in it. Choosing a thin brush, made from a shaft of white jade and soft rabbit hair tapered to a thin point, he began revising the rituals of the military. It was the most challenging to him out of the five rites as he had no practical experience on the frontlines, thus he had to memorise it by heart and observe Crown Prince Weicheng during his training with the troops. When he was done, he checked his answers and did his corrections.

Just as he was preparing for his archery lesson, thunder rumbled through the air, grey clouds covering the sun like a blanket. “YESSS…” Boyao shucked off his gloves and belt, throwing them back into the chest, gave an excited wiggle and jumped back onto the bed. He rolled around for a bit before he sat up and sighed, enjoying the pattering sounds and the cooling scent of the rain. He hauled himself up, ambling towards the bathroom. He soaked in a hot bath, steaming water heated and brought up by servants at the ring of his bell. Washing the ink stains from his hands, Boyao wistfully reminisced on the time the prince accidentally spilt ink on him, almost 12 years ago. Weicheng was beside himself apologising, dragging Boyao into the bathroom and washing the stained clothes himself as Boyao washed up. Boyao sunk deeper into the bath, chin barely above the water’s surface. He soaked until his fingers turned wrinkled and got out shivering. He towelled himself down and dressed in a rich silk robe, golden threads running through the red silk glowing in the dim lamplight. He giddily thought  _ It looks like a bridal gown.  _ Skipping around the study, he danced and twirled, revelling in how the silk billowed around his legs. 

Shortly after, an attendant delivered a meal to his door. A bowl of white rice, a plate of greens, braised pork belly and a steaming bowl of broth. Boyao lit up when he saw the contents of the soup; carrots, spare ribs and radish slices boiled to mush. He tucked in with gusto, placed the tray outside of the door when he was done and lounged on the couch on the sheltered balcony, enjoying the drizzle of ice-cold rain. Gazing out into the mist, his mind wandered to Weicheng.  _ What is he doing? Where is he now? _ He pictured the Crown Prince wading through the mud with the rain pouring down, chilled to the bone. “Stop that!” Boyao slapped himself on the cheek lightly. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s alright.”

To take his mind off it, he wandered back into the study and lifted his prized possession out of its case. Conveniently ignoring the pile of arithmetic assignments, he slipped into the practice room. It was a room within the prince’s quarters that was the most soundproof save for the bedroom. He sat on the cedar chair, propping the erhu on his thigh. It was made of a rare type of rosewood, ebony rosewood with a curious fragrance, a mix of sandalwood and citrus. The tuning pegs were tipped with ivory from a giant white elephant found dead of old age in the plains, sourced humanely. The soundbox was covered by the skin of a jewelled singing python from faraway lands covering the soundbox, shining like mother-of-pearl. His bow was made of Jade Bamboo, supple yet sturdy, and silvery horsehair from an Immortal Mirage Stallion, which would only ever snap when cut by a dagger dipped in blood. This was an instrument that he’d been playing for 20 years, and it was given by Weicheng as a 20th birthday gift, 8 years ago. 

He pulled out a bunch of scores and began practising, the erhu’s tremulous voice soaring and gliding. He played through the pieces he would be performing for the court the next day, quietly dreading it. Performance anxiety still gets to him after all these years. Boyao drew up a new score on blank parchment, idly composing a simple melody. He added a few beats of syncopation and a bass harmony line, which could be played by Weicheng on the guzheng, he thought gleefully. 

As he played and wrote, he lost track of time and suddenly, in the middle of a phrase, a bowhair snapped. He looked down in shock, to find that his left hand’s index finger had started to bleed and a drop had dripped down the string, allowing the metal strings to snap a single bowhair. As he cleaned the bow and instrument and bandaged his finger, he muttered to himself, “Oh crap, I can’t let Weicheng see this, he’ll scold me again-” He stopped dead. Glancing at the dusty silk cloth covering the guzheng in the corner, Boyao’s gut tugged with loneliness yet again. “He’ll be back soon,” he whispered to himself, “He promised.” 


	2. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turn of the seasons brings the Crown Prince steadily closer to home, along with the horrors of war.

Winter came covering the land with a white blanket, melting into spring showers cool enough to freeze. The days marched by and so did the troops, edging closer and closer to home. It was a rare sunny day when a herald rode into the city, proclaiming the troops’ victory. Delighted, the Emperor commanded teams of palace servants to decorate the streets and prepare for a victory parade. Boyao woke up to find the corridors bustling with activity, like animals waking from hibernation. He dodged a servant girl laden with a pile of silk banners to reach the courtyard and gasped at the sight of the platters of food being prepared all at once by several kitchen teams. If he strained to listen, he could hear the screams of the head cook from the kitchen. He shuddered at the memory of clanging pots and grubby rags; that one time he’d been mistaken for a scullery boy by the head cook and pulled by the ear into the steaming, sweltering depths of the kitchen was not on his list of happiest moments.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face one of the Emperor’s personal attendants. The eunuch bowed and intoned, “The Great Ruler wishes to meet you. Dress appropriately and I will escort you to the meeting venue.” Boyao bowed in return and went to get changed into a simple dark blue scholars’ outfit. He followed the eunuch and wound through the palace before arriving at the forbidden zone of the inner palace. He had access to the rest of the inner palace due to his relationship - whatever it was - to the prince, but the forbidden zone was only accessible to the Emperor, the Empress, invited concubines, selected officials, and eunuchs. The eunuch ushered Boyao into the room, where the silhouettes of the Emperor and Empress sat behind a translucent silkscreen at a low table. As the eunuch announced his arrival, Boyao took the opportunity to glance around the room quickly, trying to spot any hidden dangers or spies. The Emperor gestured to the seat in front of him, “Be seated. Eunuch Yao, secure the room.” 

Boyao knelt and bowed with his forehead to the floor. “Greetings to the Emperor and Empress, this lowly one is graced by your presence.” The Empress nodded and rapped twice on the table with a single knuckle softly, “You may rise. I’m sure you are wondering why we summoned you.” Boyao gulped softly and raised his gaze to the cups on the table, waiting for the royals’ response. The Emperor let slip a small smile and offered a teacup to Boyao, who received it with both hands and a bowed head. “Relax, Boyao. After all, Weicheng considers you his closest friend and you aren’t in trouble.” Boyao took a deep breath and chanced a look at their faces. They were smiling fondly at him. The Emperor gestured to his wife and the Empress passed Boyao a scroll sealed with a wax stamp. “As you know, Weicheng has returned and will reach the palace soon. There will be peace talks with the Tong kingdom in a week’s time and I will be sending him to speak on our kingdom’s behalf. When he is gone, I entrust you with a mission in the Yue kingdom. You will speak of this to no one, not even Weicheng. The details of your mission are within; burn it when you have read and understood it.” Boyao received the scroll with both hands and asked, “Your Majesties, may I read it now? I may have some questions.” The Emperor rose, “I have duties to attend to. My lady, would you stay to answer Boyao’s questions?” The Empress gave a cheeky smile and replied, “My lord, I also have duties to attend to. Would you stay to answer his questions instead? I’m sure I could assist in your duties in the meantime.” Boyao froze. Defying the Emperor’s orders? Would the Empress be punished?

To his surprise, the Emperor stroked his beard and seemed to be seriously considering her words. He grinned and said, “My lady, my duty is of a most distasteful nature. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to advise this boy. After all, you are most familiar with the mission. I hope your duties may be delayed slightly, on my behalf? I will ensure your time will be suitably compensated.” He whispered into the Empress’ ear, making her blush pink, and swept out of the room. Boyao tried hard to pretend he did not notice and bowed at the Emperor's departure. He began reading the details on the scroll. The Empress rang a bell and Eunuch Yao entered, clearing the table of teacups and cleaning it with a soft cloth. He thanked the eunuch and placed the scroll on the now clean table. The Empress studied his face as he read on. “You are pale, Boyao. Are you not feeling well?” Boyao shook his head to clear the shock in his mind. “Not at all, your Majesty. I am surprised that a mission of such enormity would be entrusted to a lowly one like me.”

The Empress smiled softly, “You are the one Weicheng trusts the most. I dare say, the Emperor may even be thinking of training you to be Weicheng’s advisor when he ascends the throne one day.” Boyao’s mouth opened and closed like a carp gulping water, not a sound emitting from him. The Empress put a delicate hand to her mouth and gasped in mock surprise, “Oh dear, it seems that I may have revealed some news prematurely! I’m also not allowed to tell you that you are to join Weicheng at the Tong kingdom’s negotiations if the Yue kingdom considers the proposal.” The Empress conspiratorially put a finger to her lips and said, “Let’s keep this a secret between us.” Boyao bowed and asked, “Do I have to find my own transport?” The Empress frowned slightly at Boyao’s expression but replied nonetheless, “We will be providing you with supplies, a horse and an allowance. I will provide a letter to be given to the Yue dignitaries, Eunuch Yao will give it to you before you leave. They will provide for you and it will explain your position. Do pack your finest attire, we’d want to leave a good impression, wouldn’t we?” Boyao bowed again and rolled the scroll up. The Empress threw it into the flames of the brazier of coals that warmed the room. Boyao was about to take his leave, but the next words rooted him to the spot.

“You love my son, don’t you?.”

Boyao wilted under the intense stare the Empress gave him. “This servant will not speak dishonestly. Your Majesty really knows all.” The Empress’ gaze softened. “I have known since Weicheng confided in me years ago. He loves you. I know that you do not love him solely for his power or position; we would have been assassinated long ago had you told him to. I see in you what I feel for the Emperor.” She drew herself up. “But you cannot become his weakness. This is why I proposed Weicheng’s engagement to the Yue kingdom’s princess. So we can have peace, but also…” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Also for my son to love freely, without worry for your safety.” She opened her eyes, gleaming gold in the firelight. “Come now, we must prepare for his return! Will you play at the banquet for us?” Boyao swallowed hard and bowed, “It would be an honour, your Majesty.” She dismissed him with a vague wave, “Then go and practice. We look forward to the performance.”

After Boyao left, the Emperor crept out from the alcove he’d been hiding in. He sat beside the Empress and wrapped his arms around her. “You did well, my lady. Your gentle subtlety far surpasses my commanding abilities.” The Empress smiled sadly and buried her face in his shoulder. “I just hope that things will go smoothly for them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I'm back from hiatus hhhh school has been hectic so enjoy this short chapter (next one has smut owo) feel free to ask for clarification if there's anything that you might not understand haha

**Author's Note:**

> ^The "six arts" (liuyi 六艺) refers to two different groups of skills, firstly, the ability to perform six different types of physical exercises, and secondly, to master the Six Confucian Classics. The exercises are rituals (li 礼), music (yue 乐), archery (she 射), charioteering (yu 驭/御), writing (shu 书) and arithmetics (shu 数).
> 
> *Xiao Yang (小羊) Brett’s surname Yang 杨 is a homonym of the Chinese word for sheep.
> 
> I used their Chinese names because I felt it would be more immersive. Let me know if I should change to their English names!


End file.
